Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah head into the World Cup as top-ranked ODI batsman and bowler

Releasing their final edition of the ODI rankings before we venture into the ICC Cricket World Cup, the International Cricket Council’s esteemed ranks see India dominate the lists. Sitting at the echelon of the rankings for ODI batsmen and bowlers are Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah respectively, two players who’ve over the last year reaffirmed their credentials as the finest ever functionaries in their department.

What makes for more pleasant reading for Indian cricket faithful is that opener Rohit Sharma finds himself on the second position in the rankings for ODI batsmen. Having made massive strides in recent times on the back of his immense success in Australia and New Zealand, with a tally of 839 points, Rohit edges New Zealand’s Ross Taylor who follows him up with 831 points.

Coming next for batsmen in the 50-over format are West Indies’ opener Shai Hope who of late enjoyed a fruitful spree in the recently concluded tri-nation ODI series between West Indies, Bangladesh and Ireland. South Africa’s wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock rounds up the top 5 with 803 points and if his IPL performances are anything to go by, South Africa have at their disposal a dependable player who can be relied upon to come up with the goods at the World Cup.

Indian captain Virat Kohli is undisputed in the number one position, clear of Rohit Sharma, his closest competitor by some distance. With 890 points to his name, Kohli’s world-class performances in 2019 see him 51 points clear of Sharma despite having not participated in an ODI encounter since March.

In the bowling department, the competition is much more competitive and tight. Jasprit Bumrah is undoubtedly the king with 774 points, a testament to the mercurial growth he’s shown since the onset of 2018. Over the course of the last year, Bumrah has acquired a versatile skill set which paired with his unnerving work ethic has made the entire cricketing fraternity stand up and take notice of his exquisite abilities.

While Bumrah continues to sit atop of the ODI rankings, it’s his showing in the recently concluded IPL that has doubled the expectations from him. He’s shown that be it any format or pitch in the world, his exhilarating ability to make the ball sharply dip and grow onto batsmen along with a meticulous line and length make it an extremely tricky proposition to face him.

Coming in second place is New Zealand’s Trent Boult, someone who yet again showed why he’s held in such reverence when India visited the country. In a spell that blew the Indian side apart, Boult bowled out 10 terrific overs of pace bowling on the bounce to pick up 5-21 as India dwindled for just 92 runs.

Spinners Rashid Khan and Imran Tahir come in third and fourth place respectively with 726 and 703 points respectively with South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada wrapping up the top 5.

On the all-rounders’ front, it isn’t such fortuitous news for India with no player from the country finding his name in the top 10 list. Kedar Jadhav who is recuperating from a shoulder injury is the closest Indian to the esteemed pile with his name featuring at the 12th place.

As far as the rankings for countries go, England furthered their position as the best ODI side with a 4-0 series win against Pakistan last week which places them as the number 1 side with 125 points. India come in a close second with 121, followed by South Africa who have amassed 115 points.

With a plethora of cricketing acumen in their artillery, both Kohli and Bumrah possess unique leadership skills which can prove to be a pivotal factor in seeing India go the distance at the upcoming World Cup.

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